While The A.V. Club staff gets to weigh in about what movies, TV, music, and more we liked this year, we’d be fools to think that anyone really cares what we think. After all, we’re not famous. That’s why we asked a bunch of our favorite actors, musicians, podcasters, comedians, actors, and showrunners what they liked the most this year, and we’ll post a different batch of answers every few days until the end of the year.
Andrew W.K., party rocker and motivational speaker
What’s the best thing you listened to in 2012?
The best thing I listened to were the tender sounds of young twin baby birds chirping and glistening. They sang on high and feather floated their beautiful young song into my party heart.
What’s the best movie you saw in 2012?
The best movie I saw was actually a whole bunch of different movies of wonderful young babies playing with pups. These soft and cherished creatures delighted me with their playful party joy and cared for each other while they enriched my spirit.
What’s the best TV show you watched in 2012?
Any and all TV shows about partying with food, cooking, eating, and roast meat. They’re just so awesome!
Jen Kirkman, comedian and author of the upcoming book I Can Barely Take Care Of Myself: Tales From A Happy Life Without Kids
What’s the best thing you listened to in 2012?
I finally bought The Complete Million Dollar Quartet. It’s a great recording of Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis doing about 40-odd songs and fucking around in the studio. I know it came out years ago, but I’m late to knowing that. This is my favorite kind of music, so I’m sorry I don’t have a more current reference.
What’s the best movie you saw in 2012?
I didn’t step foot in a movie theater in 2012, but I watched the great documentary Last Days Here on Netflix instant. It’s haunting and happy and also made me feel like showering.
What’s the best TV show you watched in 2012?
Besides Family Ties repeats that are on TV, I would say David Letterman is always my favorite. I’m not so much for the scripted series that I have to keep up with.
Tim Heidecker, star of The Comedy and Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie
What’s the best TV show you watched in 2012?
Brody Stevens: Enjoy It! on HBO Go. Not just because we were briefly in it. A truly beautifully made docu-comedy(?) about one of comedy’s most interesting people. I just loved how well-crafted and genre-bending it was. YES!
Bob Odenkirk, comedian, author, and co-creator of Mr. Show
What’s the best thing you listened to in 2012?
THE REPLACEMENTS, LIVE, ’81 on YOUTUBE. REMINDS ME WHY I’M ALIVE… AND ANGRY.
What’s the best movie you saw in 2012?
IT WILL BE BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD AS SOON AS THEY SEND ME THE GODDAMN SCREENER.
What’s the best TV show you watched in 2012?
THE ROYLE FAMILY ON DVD (Netflix’d its ass). WATCHED WITH MY SON AND HE LOVED IT, WHICH MEANS HE’S THE COOLEST KID EVER.
David Cross, comedian, co-creator of Mr. Show, and star of Arrested Development
What’s the best thing you listened to in 2012?
The X reunion at FunFunFun Fest in Austin, where they played Los Angeles in its entirety. Best CD I heard was Father John Misty.
What’s the best movie you saw in 2012?
I re-watched Bicycle Thieves last week so probably that. Certainly better than Skyfall.
What’s the best TV show you watched in 2012?
I’m one of those “I don't watch TV” assholes you read about every now and then. I don’t have a TV at my house upstate, where I spend most of my time these days. But I downloaded every Community and gorged myself on them, even going back for seconds and sometimes thirds. Best comedy on TV, hands down. And I say that as a huge fan of Louie (both the TV show and the person).
David Bazan, leader of the David Bazan Band and former leader of Pedro The Lion
What’s the best thing you listened to in 2012?
Chris Cohen, Overgrown Path. I’ve loved everything I’ve heard from him: The Curtains, Cryptacize, and what I assume were his contributions to Deerhoof’s The Runners Four. His new record is just as good or better than anything he’s done.
What’s the best movie you saw in 2012?
The Master. It’s like a slow, stormy bruise that comes at you from the inside.
What’s the best TV show you watched in 2012?
Breaking Bad, especially the fifth season. It’s so weird to watch a character that, by the fifth season, I pretty much despise but am still compelled to watch and care about what happens. It’s a pretty good trick.
Dave Holmes, comedian, writer, and actor
What’s the best thing you listened to in 2012?
I got turned onto Frank Turner early this year, and have listened to little else since. Where has this guy been all my life?
What’s the best movie you saw in 2012?
Silver Linings Playbook, because I just saw it and am in love with it. I made a spectacle of myself laughing and crying.
What’s the best TV show you watched in 2012?
Paul F. Tompkins is one of my favorite performers of all time, and his special Laboring Under Delusions is his best work yet.
Jimmy Pardo, comedian, Conan personality, and host of the Never Not Funny podcast
What’s the best thing you listened to in 2012?
My friend and fellow podcaster Pat Francis gave me the latest CD by The Fixx [Beautiful Friction], and it was amazing. I was never a huge Fixx fan or even a casual fan, but this thing turned me onto them. I spent the fall revisiting all of their CDs and seeing them in concert.
What’s the best movie you saw in 2012?
I was holed up in a hotel in Dayton, Ohio; across the street was an independent movie theater, and the only movie that was playing that fit my schedule was Searching For Sugar Man. While I left with a lot of questions still unanswered, it was hard not to be moved by his songs and story.
What’s the best TV show you watched in 2012?
The clichéd 2012 answer is Homeland, followed by Breaking Bad and Mad Men, so I will admit that after 20 years of not watching, I have returned to General Hospital. Sure it’s not the best TV show, but hey, Duke and Scorpio are back! That’s right, Duke and Scorpio are back! Can Casey the alien be far behind?
Julie Klausner, writer, host of the How Was Your Week? podcast, and author of I Don’t Care About Your Band
What’s the best thing you listened to in 2012?
I loved Jack White’s Blunderbuss. I feel incompetent as a redhead because he hasn’t yet propositioned me for sex. He always sings about redheads in his songs, and they’re so sexy and majestic. Also, he’s responsible for introducing a new generation to the magic of Wanda Jackson! Jack White, call me.
What’s the best movie you saw in 2012?
The Diana Vreeland documentary [Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel] and Moonrise Kingdom were fabulous. I liked Argo a lot, too. That said, I haven’t yet seen Les Miz, but it’s my favorite of the year based on the trailer alone.
What’s the best TV show you watched in 2012?
I’m sorry to say this, but I can’t narrow it down. It was such a great year for TV. Breaking Bad, Homeland, Girls, SNL. The season finales of Louie and Mad Men give me chills just thinking about them.
Jesse Thorn, host of Bullseye and Jordan, Jesse, Go!
What’s the best thing you listened to in 2012?
I keep coming back to Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange. It’s beautiful, beautifully crafted, and feels really fresh in a way that very few R&B albums do. Definitely my album of the year.
What’s the best movie you saw in 2012?
My son’s just over a year old, so I’ve missed lots of movies this year—even some I really wanted to see, like my friend Rian Johnson’s Looper. I did get to see the new Judd Apatow film, This Is 40, and I thought it was excellent. I think that since my son was born, I’ve been feeling the emotional arcs in movies much more deeply than I did before… I shudder to think what would happen if I went to see one of those “They’ve got my daughter!” movies. This Is 40 has much more emotional conflict than Apatow’s previous movies, and it feels very real and familiar. It’s also really funny.
What’s the best TV show you watched in 2012?
I can’t believe that this is the final season of 30 Rock. I genuinely can’t wrap my mind around it. On a given episode of 30 Rock, there are four or five perfect jokes—jokes that I am simply awed by—and a hundred great jokes. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a modern marvel, and as much as I love Archer and Game Of Thrones and the U.K. version of Antiques Roadshow, nothing will ever fill the 30 Rock-sized hole in my heart that the end of my favorite show will leave.
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